Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Pope Announces New Sports Department

Pope John Paul II announced yesterday, according to the Associated Press, the creation of a new sports department in the Vatican.

The Pope hopes the department will provide new means for evangelization, as he considers sports to be an integral aspect to cultures around the world, of recent tainted by fan violence and doping scandals.

The department will have officials in the upcoming Olympic Games in Greece, as well as in various national and international sports leagues. The Pope also hopes to generate more involvement with athletic activity at the parish level.

During his younger days, John Paul II himself was an avid sportsman, commonly taking summer vacations to hike through the Alps or go skiing in Italy; he was also his high school soccer team's goalkeeper.